


only look on

by theafterimages



Series: los angeles [3]
Category: EXO (Band), GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Relationships, M/M, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 15:54:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9131302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theafterimages/pseuds/theafterimages
Summary: Mark finally meets someone he's interested in. Too bad Sehun already has a boyfriend.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just saying, I can see it.

“What are you doing tonight?” Jinyoung asks Mark as they clock out.

“Nothing,” Mark says happily. “I’m gonna go home, order food, and watch something…” His phone vibrates, and as soon as he sees Jackson’s name on the screen his stomach sinks. “Or I guess I won’t go home yet,” he says reluctantly as he reads the all too familiar code word.

“Sexiled?”

“Yeah.” For the third time this week. “I guess I’ll go by the comic book café.”

“You need a boyfriend,” Jinyoung tells him.

This conversation is way too familiar, too. Like always, Mark pouts exaggeratedly at him. “Can’t. You ruined all other men for me.”

Jinyoung pats his head. “Don’t worry,” he says fondly. “There are other guys out there with nice butts. Not as nice as mine, but still nice.”

Mark hasn’t really met any guys recently worth being interested in, with or without nice asses. “People ask me out and stuff,” he says. Honestly, he’s lost track of how many customers have tried to give him their numbers. “I’m just—not interested, I guess.”

“One day your prince will come,” Jinyoung assures him.

 

 

 

“You need to leave the apartment,” Jackson announces the next day.

“Have you been talking to Jinyoung?” Mark asks, not looking up from his laptop.

“ _No_.” Jackson sounds petulant enough that Mark does glance up at that, raising his eyebrows in silent inquiry. Jackson scowls. “He knows what he did!”

Mark shakes his head. He’s long since learned when to stop asking with Jackson. “I just want to stay here this weekend,” he says instead. 

“You always stay here,” Jackson says.

Mark looks blankly at him. “We just went to see The Avengers again.”

“You leaving the apartment to go be a giant nerd doesn’t count,” Jackson says. “I’m going over to Tao’s later. You’re coming with me.”

“To watch you make out? No thanks.” Mark likes Zitao. He does. He just sometimes wishes Zitao and Jackson were… quieter.

“It’ll be fun!” Jackson insists. “His roommate will be there, too!”

“This isn’t some matchmaking thing, is it?” Mark asks suspiciously.

“Sehun already has a boyfriend,” Jackson assures him. Mark frowns and Jackson nudges him, his voice becoming more coaxing as he adds, “You can meet their dogs.”

“Their dogs are really cute,” Mark admits. He follows Zitao on Instagram and Twitter, which means he’s seen plenty of pictures and videos of both Candy and Vivi. Though when it comes to dogs, of course Coco is the cutest of them all.

“So come with me,” Jackson says, shaking Mark’s shoulder. “Get out of the apartment. It’ll be fun! Please?”

“Okay, fine,” Mark agrees. “But if you start talking about _showing Tao something_ again, I’m leaving.”

“That was one time!” Jackson protests immediately.

 

 

 

Jackson and Zitao have been inseparable ever since they met two months ago. Mark’s not surprised—Jackson is always single-minded when he starts dating someone, and Zitao seems to be the same way. 

He hasn’t been to Zitao’s apartment before today, but it’s pretty much what he would have expected. It looks like him, Mark thinks, tracing a fingertip over the curved back of a nearby snow leopard figurine. In some ways it’s sort of like Jackson and Mark’s: both have black sofas, dark wood furniture, widescreen TVs, and dog toys everywhere. While Jackson and Mark’s is mostly undecorated, just photographs and a few things Mark’s mom and sister have brought over, Zitao’s has actually been painted something other than beige and has nice decorations artfully placed throughout. And a big mirror by the door, Mark notices with a smile. He’s sure he knows who bought that.

Like he read Mark’s mind, Zitao glances at his reflection in it before walking further in the apartment, calling, “Sehun! Do you have the kids?”

It takes a few seconds, but then one of the doors opens and two fluffy white dogs spill out, barking excitedly as they race toward them. Mark joins the other two in crouching down and crooning fondly to them as Candy and Vivi try to greet Zitao and Jackson and investigate Mark all at once. 

Mark’s so distracted by them that he doesn’t even notice Sehun until he hears his light voice, scratchy with sleep, say, “They were napping with me.”

Mark looks up and his brain just goes blank. All he can do is stare—at Sehun’s mussed, bleached blond hair and his sleepy, pretty eyes, and small, full pink mouth. Oh, and at how all he’s wearing is a pair of tight lemon yellow briefs that don’t leave anything to the imagination. 

Mark’s mouth goes dry. He’s seen pictures of Sehun on Zitao’s Instagram and had thought then that he was cute, but seeing him in person is a whole different story. And not just because of the mostly naked thing.

Sehun blinks down at Mark, then bolts back into his room, Vivi trotting after him. “I didn’t know anyone else was here!” they can hear him yell through the door.

“I told you Jackson was coming over last night!” Zitao protests.

“No you didn’t!”

“Yes I did! You were probably too busy texting Chanyeol to listen.”

“I was listening!” Sehun insists as he reemerges, now wearing shorts and a hoodie, cradling Vivi against his chest with one hand. He runs the other through his still-messy hair and Mark gets an almost physical shock when their gazes meet, although Sehun quickly looks away again, his cheeks turning an even darker shade of pink.

“It’s okay,” Jackson says encouragingly. “I don’t wear clothes at home, either.”

“He really doesn’t,” Mark confirms, and Sehun gives him a small smile.

“You want to hang out?” Zitao asks hopefully. “We’re ordering Thai.”

“Can’t,” Sehun says. His gaze darts to Mark again before he quickly looks back at Zitao. “I have to get ready to go out with Chanyeol.”

“Oh. Right.” Zitao’s lack of enthusiasm earns him a quick elbow jab from Jackson.

_Oh right_ , is what Mark thinks, too, and now he quickly focuses the remainder of his attention on Candy and Vivi. For a minute there he’d forgotten that Sehun has a boyfriend. Zitao has complained about the guy before, but he’s always made it sound like Sehun and Chanyeol will be together for a long time. 

Jinyoung would probably laugh at him if he were here to see this: the one person who has interested Mark in months is the one he can’t have.


End file.
